Image: Supplied
Qatar Tourism is on a upward trajectory, closing 2024 with an unprecedented 5.07 million visitors — a 25 per cent increase over 2023 — and carrying this momentum into 2025 with over 1.5 million international visitors in Q1 alone.
Backed by an integrated tourism strategy, the country is making bold strides in hospitality, culinary excellence, cruise tourism, AI innovation, and eco-tourism. With major milestones such as surpassing 10 million room nights for the first time, welcoming the MICHELIN Guide, and hosting globally acclaimed events like Web Summit Qatar and the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition, Qatar is redefining itself as a year-round, must-visit destination.
Qatar Tourism and Visit Qatar showcased their offerings at at the 32nd Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025, held from April 28-May 1, at a 600-square-metre pavilion that featured interactive digital experiences, cultural activations, and immersive showcases like the 4Dx Meryal Waterpark experience.
Leading a delegation of 46 partners, including hotels and destination management companies, Qatar highlighted its expanding tourism portfolio and regional leadership in sustainable tourism — underscored by ATM’s Sustainability Award for the eco-conscious pavilion design.
Several high-level meetings took place with regional and international tourism leaders to strengthen bilateral partnerships. Qatar Tourism announced a major winter cruise partnership with Celestyal Cruises, expected to bring over 40,000 visitors, and launched a new twin-centre holiday initiative with Abu Dhabi’s tourism authority. Visit Qatar also signed strategic MoUs with Huawei, flynas, and Satguru Travel to boost digital marketing, enhance regional air connectivity, and expand into African markets.
We caught up with Omar Al Jaber, director of Shared Services at Qatar Tourism, during the event to discuss the factors driving this growth as well as the tourism authority’s focus on service excellence and customer experience. Here are excerpts from the chat:
Why is ATM a key event for Qatar Tourism?
ATM is a very important event for Qatar Tourism and for Qatar as a whole. It’s one of the key exhibitions we make sure to attend every year. The event brings together different markets, segments, and stakeholders, which is crucial for us. We attend alongside our partners from the hotel and hospitality sectors, as well as destination management companies (DMCs). The goal is to enhance collaboration, foster networking, and ultimately create win-win deals between Qatari businesses and international partners.
How was 2024 for Qatar Tourism in terms of numbers and highlights?
The year 2024 was truly amazing for us. We reached 5.1 million visitors, which is a 25 per cent increase compared to the previous year. Nearly 48 per cent of those visitors came from the GCC, breaking another record.
Hotel occupancy reached an average of 77 per cent, which is also a new high. The average daily rate (ADR) per night increased too — great news for the business. It’s particularly remarkable because this comes two years after the FIFA World Cup, showing that we’ve maintained momentum. It also raises the bar for 2025—we aim to break records again.
These figures reflect not only our appeal to international travellers but also the strength of our multi-access strategy via air, land, and sea. What’s more, these milestones were achieved by diversifying our tourism offerings and continuously enhancing the visitor experience. It’s a validation of our commitment to turning Qatar into a dynamic, year-round destination.
In Q1 2025, Qatar welcomed over 1.5 million international visitors. What were the key drivers of this surge?
Our performance in Q1 2025 was shaped by a combination of high-profile events, strategic partnerships, and targeted regional and international campaigns. Events like the Web Summit Qatar, the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition — which saw nearly 30,000 visitors and QAR246m in sales — and the Qatar International Food Festival, which attracted over 365,000 attendees, significantly boosted footfall.
Additionally, Eid Al Fitr 2025 marked the highest holiday arrivals in three years, with 214,000 visitors during the eight-day celebration—a 26 per cent increase over the previous year.
Service excellence is a key focus for Qatar Tourism. Tell us more about how you’re ensuring consistent high-quality service across the tourism sector.
Absolutely. Ensuring a seamless visitor journey is critical, and that’s why we established the Service Excellence Department. This team focuses on various areas to raise standards across the board. We launched the Qatar Tourism Awards to encourage competition among hotels, hospitality providers, and individuals in the industry. The MICHELIN Guide also brought significant improvements to the restaurant and café sectors, making Qatar the second country in the GCC to host it.
On the academic side, we offer regular training to frontline workers — hotel staff, airport personnel, customs officers, immigration staff, taxi drivers, safari operators, and tour guides. We update our training content regularly to ensure that the quality of service remains high and current.
What are some emerging travel trends that you’re seeing, and how is Qatar adapting to meet these changes?
We’re targeting a broad range of tourists — families with children, couples, leisure travellers, and more. We segment our target markets into three main categories, covering around 52–53 countries. Each segment has dedicated international offices that handle promotions, partnerships, and training programmes tailored to that market.
Family travel is definitely growing. We’ve seen a marked increase in family visitors over the last few years. Qatar is also emerging as a popular destination for weddings — especially Indian weddings — which we’re very proud of.
Cruise tourism is an important pillar of our diversified strategy. The 2024/2025 season saw 87 ship calls, up 19 per cent from the previous season, bringing over 360,000 visitors. With 13 homeporting calls and five maiden voyages, Qatar is strengthening its position as a regional cruise hub. More than 10 per cent were turnaround passengers, highlighting the sector’s growing impact on local tourism and hospitality.
How is digital transformation enhancing Qatar’s tourism sector?
Digital transformation is essential, especially in marketing. Our digital team leverages various tools like Meta, Snapchat, and chatbots for targeted digital campaigns. Traditional marketing methods like out-of-home boards are becoming less effective. Instead of random broadcasting, we focus on data-driven, targeted media strategies. This approach ensures that we reach the right audience in each market, which has significantly helped increase our visitor numbers.
How important is the UAE as a source market for Qatar Tourism?
The UAE is one of our tier-one markets — very important for us, especially within the GCC. Alongside Saudi Arabia, it’s a key focus. We’re not only targeting Emirati nationals but also the large expat population living in the UAE. Once the unified GCC visa comes into play, it will truly transform travel within the region.
We also collaborate closely on cruise tourism. In 2023, we welcomed around 370,000 cruise visitors, many of whom arrived from or departed through Dubai or Abu Dhabi. This segment is growing and forms an important part of our broader tourism strategy.
Any final thoughts?
it’s been a busy but exciting time for us at Qatar Tourism. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made and are optimistic about what’s to come. Our continued focus on service excellence, digital innovation, and strategic partnerships is paving the way for even greater achievements.
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